Archive for the '2011 Offseason' Tag Under 'Ducks' Category

If you followed the Lakers during their most recent title runs, you're aware of Phil Jackson's many coaching tactics.

One of them was putting together motivational presentations featuring snippets of movies interspersed with other images. Jackson would show the packages to his players at strategic points during the season.

Bruce Boudreau does the same thing. He hasn't done it yet here, but the new Ducks coach said he would be putting together a presentation soon, like next week.

He has been waiting for the DVD release of “Moneyball,” which is scheduled for Tuesday.

“There are a couple things in that movie that will work great,” Boudreau said. “I'm pretty good at finding those kinds of things in movies that people otherwise wouldn't notice.”

For those who are unfamiliar with summertime acquisition Matt Smaby, here is a crash course on the defenseman Cliffs Notes-style.

-- Smaby is from Minneapolis and attended the nearby hockey factory that is Shattuck St. Mary's High. Some of his teammates during his time there from 2001-03: Sidney Crosby, Jack Johnson, Drew Stafford, Zach Parise.

-- The hulking 6-foot-5, 239-pound rearguard played three seasons at North Dakota and helped the Fighting Sioux to the Frozen Four in 2005 and 2006. Smaby played in the 2005 NCAA championship game, where the Sioux lost to Paul Stastny and the University of Denver, 4-1.

-- Selected by Tampa Bay in the second round of the celebrated 2003 NHL draft, Smaby spent his entire professional career in the Lightning organization until he was not offered a contract in June. Drafted eight spots ahead of Nashville captain Shea Weber, Smaby played in 122 games with Tampa Bay over parts of four seasons.

George Parros lives year round in Southern Calfornia but remains a New Jersey kid, growing up in Randolph Township and going to school just one hour south at Princeton University.

Parros was there at the Ivy League campus on Sept. 11, 2001, jarred into a horrific reality that morning with millions just 75 minutes north in New York City and billions of others across the world.

"It was my sophomore year or junior year," Parros recalled recently. "We were in our dorm room. I remember hearing about it, I ran to the TV and turned it on. Obviously I was in shock and awe.

"Yeah, I definitely remember that I was only an hour outside of Manhattan. There were a bunch of family members that I knew growing up in New Jersey who had dads that worked downtown. It was definitely an awful moment that I clearly remember."

ANAHEIM -- Toni Lydman and Matt Beleskey underwent similar operations two days apart in May to repair a torn labrum in their left shoulder and both Ducks players said their recovery remains on schedule even though they may not be ready for the Oct. 7 season opener against Buffalo in Helsinki.

Lydman said he would love to play in his native Finland as part of the NHL Premiere Games event overseas but stressed that he would not jeopardize his season in order to take part as he wasn't able to begin strengthening his shoulder until the end of June.

"Right now, I'm not sure," Lydman said of playing in the opener. "Hopefully. I'm not going to rush myself back just because the games are over there. It would be nice to play there. We'll see. I'm taking it slow."

ANAHEIM -- Teemu Selanne raised the possibility Friday of putting off his decision of playing a final NHL season with the Ducks until after training camp opens next week.

Selanne skated each day this week in informal workouts at Anaheim Ice and continues to maintain that he wants to announce a decision before camp opens a week from Saturday, saying that "it would be best for everybody."

But the winger, who is 41 and coming off an impressive 80-point season, followed that up by suggesting that he'd want to test his surgically-repaired left knee under high-intensity camp conditions before making a commitment for a 19th season and 13th with the franchise.

Though he is not considering signing with anyone other than the Ducks at this end of his career, Selanne is currently an unrestricted free agent and would need to sign a pro tryout contract to work out with the team if he doesn't have a deal in place by then. A Ducks spokesman said such a maneuver is easily allowable.

"I might even go [into] the first week of training camp and just go as a tryout for starters," Selanne said. "I know I've got to sign something to get into camp. But I think there would be benefits for the team and myself. I don't want to just try it and say, 'Sorry, I can't do it.'"

Here is a statement from Bethann Salei, widow of former Ducks defenseman Ruslan Salei. Salei perished along with 42 others in a plane crash Wednesday in Russia that claimed most of the Kontinental Hockey League's Lokomotiv Yaroslavl squad:

"On behalf of the Salei family, I want to express my sincere thanks to the entire hockey community, including all of Ruslan's friends and fans, for the overwhelming love and support. While this is an extremely difficult time for us, the outpouring of affection our family has received has been comforting.

"As much as Ruslan enjoyed playing hockey, he loved the camaraderie he had with his teammates, the team staffs, and the fans that much more. Ruslan was the love of my life and I'm extremely grateful to have our three beautiful children. He treasured his family life with us and we miss him dearly."

Here is Bethann's statement translated in Russian, as provided by Google Translate:

So who won the right to be part of this food showdown? The one who calls himself "Eating Fool" when commenting on this blog. How perfect is that?

So Ryan Getzlaf, Bobby Ryan and Andrew Cogliano will face off against JeffBanner of Orange (what, you thought "Eating Fool" was his real name?) Monday at RA Sushi at The District in Tustin. The event is set to run from 7:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

Fans are invited to attend the third annual "Get Your Ducks in a Roll" by sending an RSVP to rsvp@beachhousepr.com. Space is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The winning roll, selected by a panel of judges and a special "fan favorite" vote, will be featured on RA's menus in the Southland from Oct. 11 to April 7. RA will donate $2 from each winning roll sold during the designated time period to the Anaheim Ducks Foundation.